A.I. Powered Problem Solving and Strategy Development

The last 6 months has seen the seemingly rapid appearance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in the public domain. Of course, this is underpinned by many years, even decades of development and we are now seeing the beginning of the latest digital (r)evolution. This applies to all industries, including life sciences and the biopharmaceutical industries, and it will be interesting to see how each industry and function evolves.

Yesterday I created a Linkedin post almost entirely using A.I. (ChatGPT)

I've also used ChatGPT to automate a number of other tasks such as:

• Creating a daily schedule
• Summarising articles with key themes and learning points
• Creating a script for interview prep
• Creating fiction content for story books
• Creating work out plans

...and a lot more.

This was just me playing around with the tool as it is but it's easy to see how, with the right use of the ChatGPT API, we could develop powerful business tools to assist in our day to day work. From simple tasks such as scheduling and prioritisation to more complex data analsysis and identification of key trends, we have the potential to remove a huge amount of work that isn't maximising the value of individuals.

What does this mean for problem solving, strategy development, Medical Affairs and the biopharmaceutical industry?

I have worked away from clinical medicine for over a decade and, whilst the roles have been different each time, my approach has largely been the same. Admittedly, initially this wasn't deliberate, but as I learned more about myself and the value I bring as an individual, I have utilised my skills to have impact and accelerate through in my career. Below is the top line approach that I take and how AI could have eased the burden:

The first step in every situation is to identify the problem statement.

• For me, everything is a problem that needs solving. Whether it's developing a product strategy, leading a team, identifying clinical data gaps etc. there is a need or a problem to be solved.
• The key is identifying the true problem statement for each scenario and then working on how to solve it (the strategy) and what actions to put in place (the tactics)
• Use of AI: automating tasks such as analysing market research data, external insights, CRM data, qualitative and quantitative data, advisory board reports, white papers, internal and external data etc. in order to identify trends, relationships, correlations and, ultimately, the true problem statement. I'm thinking back to a specific period of my career where I spent around 4 months doing the above manually. From my limited experience with ChatGPT, I know that this work could have been accelerated to at least halve the time (using the tool in its current form) but the impact would probably be much greater than that with bespoke software.

Once the problem statement is identified it should be easy to understand our core objective and the creative work to identify solutions begins .

• This is the strategy development phase of the work where we look at the problem and decide how best to solve it. We decide what choices we are making around what to do but also what not to do.
• This is the roadmap for how we get to our end goal whether it is short term or long term. A true strategy will have a mixture of goals but there should be one overarching goal / objective aligned to the problem statement.
• Use of AI: Again, the key use would be to automate specific tasks associated with the creative work. Where I add value as an inidividual is this creative problem solving and strategy development. Over the years, I've understood that my most satisfying work is when I am working through these solutions and this is one of my key skills. It's simply how my brain works and I don't believe that AI can replace that. However, it can support it. I have used AI in a creative setting, giving it ideas and asking it to summarise the notes and formulate an action plan. I then tested it and asked it for its own creative ideas around the content. I was pleasantly surprised with its output. With the right prompt, AI tools can help to identify other angles and look at things from a different point of view, supporting and enhancing the creative work we do.

With AI powering the process, we can focus on the more creative elements of problem solving and strategy development. Developing a robust strategy to solve business problems is the single most important step in any strategic plan. Get it wrong and you are going to see the impact through the whole plan from the measures of success to the tactical plan (as you are probably solving the wrong problem). Minimising this risk is why I use data and insights to drive any strategy with experience, training, deep technical expertise and creativity being what I bring as an individual.

Once I have an understanding of the above, I have to bring in what I believe is an integral part of any leader's toolbox - Storytelling - the ability to simplify complex ideas to simple narratives in order to bring people along with you on your journey.

• This is a hugely impactful skill and involves a truly in-depth understanding of what you are trying to convey. "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough" is variously attributed to Albert Einstein and Richard Feinmann. "An alleged scientific discovery has no merit unless it can be explained to a barmaid." is another quote attributed to Lord Rutherford of Nelson. You get the theme.
• I can't tell you the number of times I have been given a "strategy" slide deck comprised of close to, or over, a hundred slides. This is largely because it contains every piece of information available without a true understanding of the problem statement and the strategy. My most recent strategy deck was 7 slides long (because it needed some background information) with the actual strategy able to fit on one slide. This deck was underpinned by vast amounts of data, many hours of work between myself and my team with an output that was a simple story to tell with easy to convey choices.
• Use of AI: As mentioned earlier, I have already used the AI to summarise articles and White Papers (up to 20 pages long). I have also used the AI to simplify complex ideas into simple narratives. In the specific case I'm thinking of, asking it to take the concept of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity and summarise it for a ten year old child to understand. With the right prompting, it ended up giving a really nice answer, easy to understand in three short paragraphs. You can see the potential to use AI to help you to create simple narratives from complex ideas.

The rapid emergence of AI tools like ChatGPT in the public domain has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach problem-solving, strategy development, and even storytelling in various industries, including life sciences and the biopharmaceutical sector. By automating tasks, analyzing data, and assisting with creative work, AI has the potential to significantly enhance our capabilities and streamline our day-to-day tasks. This allows individuals to focus on leveraging their unique skills and expertise while AI supports them in their day to day work. The key lies in harnessing the power of AI to complement human intelligence, paving the way for a new era of collaboration between humans and machines.

(Disclosure: The final paragraph is 95% written by ChatGPT based on the content I created above. I also used it for spellcheck and grammar check which wasn't perfect but still helpful)